Anuradha T. K. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anuradha T.K.
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| Born | 30 April 1960 Bangalore, Mysore State, India
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering |
| Alma mater | University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering |
| Known for | Her help in GSAT-12 and first female team leader in ISRO |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Space Science |
| Institutions | Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) |
Anuradha T.K. is a famous Indian scientist. She used to be a Program Director at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). ISRO is India's space agency. Anuradha specialized in communication satellites. These are satellites that help us talk to each other and watch TV. She helped launch important satellites like GSAT-12 and GSAT-10.
Anuradha is the most senior female scientist at ISRO. She joined the space agency in 1982. She was also the first woman to become a satellite project director at ISRO. This means she led big projects to build and launch satellites.
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Early Life and Family
Anuradha T.K. was born in Bangalore, India, in 1960. She earned a bachelor's degree in electronics. She studied at the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bangalore.
Anuradha was always very interested in science. She dreamed of joining the space program. Because of this, she turned down a chance to study for a Master of Science degree.
Her parents were a big inspiration to her. Her father was a professor, and her mother managed their home. When Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon in 1969, Anuradha was still in primary school. Her parents told her many stories about the Moon mission. They encouraged her and her three sisters to follow their dreams. Two of her sisters became electrical engineers. Her other sister became a doctor.
Anuradha married into a family that also loved electronics. Her husband works as a general manager at Bharat Electronics. Her oldest daughter is a computer science engineer in the US. Her second daughter is studying electronic engineering. Anuradha says her family was always very supportive. This helped her focus on her career.
A Career in Space
Anuradha chose to stay in India for her career. Her first job was testing satellites. She worked at the Satellite Centre in Bangalore. Her boss was Professor U. R. Rao. He later became the chairman of ISRO. Anuradha helped create electronic equipment for satellites.
She worked at ISRO for 34 years. She is the most senior woman officer there. Anuradha is a role model for many people at work. She believes that everyone is treated equally at ISRO. She once said, "You don't get any special treatment because you're a woman. You're also not discriminated against because you're a woman. You're treated as an equal here."
Anuradha always liked subjects that were logical. She found science very logical. She believes that Indian girls are good at science and math. She says that math is often their favorite subject. Her project director always supported her. He did not think that science was only for men.
Innovations and Leadership
Anuradha made a special way to control geo-synchronous satellites. These satellites stay in the same spot above Earth. She successfully moved the GSAT-12 satellite into its final orbit. This was done from a control center in Hassan. Her new method helped make GSAT-12 a success. This method is still used today.
For the first time, an all-women team did this job at Hassan. This team included Anuradha, Pramoda Hedge, and Anuradha Prakash. They worked together to guide GSAT-12. Because of their success, ISRO gave them more important tasks.
As a project director, Anuradha also led the launch of other satellites. These included GSAT-9, GSAT-17, and GSAT-18. She also worked as a Project Manager and Deputy Project Director. She helped with the Indian Remote Sensing and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System programs. Her special skill is checking how satellites perform once they are in space.
Inspiring Others
Anuradha has simple advice for young women who want to be rocket scientists. She tells them to plan well. She believes that seeing many women in space programs inspires others. She says, "Once girls see that there are lots of women in the space program, they also get motivated. They think if she can do it, so can they."
Anuradha's journey has inspired many people. Because of her encouragement, more women are choosing careers in science. She led a team of 20 engineers. Her work shows that women can achieve great things in science and technology.
After working on GSAT-12, Anuradha T.K. led the launch of the bigger GSAT-10 satellite. This happened in September 2012.
Awards and Recognition
Anuradha T.K. has received several awards for her work:
- 2003 Space Gold Medal award from the Astronautical Society of India. This was for her work in Space sciences.
- 2011 Suman Sharma Award from the National Design & Research Forum (NDRF).
- 2012 ASI-ISRO Merit Award for creating an Indian communication spacecraft.
- 2012 ISRO Team Award for leading the team that made GSAT-12.
